Let’s look at what nature management means and how a culture of environmental stewardship can help preserve and improve the world around us.
Nature management can be understood as the set of human practices and knowledge aimed at interacting with the natural environment in a sustainable way. A culture of stewardship shapes how we perceive, value and engage with the natural world, influencing our behaviour and the choices we make.
A growing body of scientific evidence shows that a responsible and informed approach to nature management can bring significant benefits to the environment (Steiner, Achim, et al. 2009).
There is more. Human communities that place strong emphasis on respect for nature tend to consume fewer resources and adopt more efficient practices (Järvelä, Marja. 2023). A positive relationship between people and nature can also improve physical and mental health, helping to reduce stress, improve mood and increase overall wellbeing (Jimenez, Marcia P., et al. 2021).
What do we mean by environmental culture?
To define environmental culture, we can refer to the Brundtland Report, a 1987 document produced by the World Commission on Environment and Development.
“Promoting environmental culture means encouraging actions that increase knowledge of the environment based on technical and scientific data, awareness of natural resources and of the need to protect them. It means fostering a process of collective growth aimed at promoting sustainable development: development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own.”
What emerges from this definition is the need to bring society, the economy and the environment into closer alignment.
The aim is to support development without overusing natural resources. Many environmental problems can, in fact, be traced back to the excessive or improper use of those resources.
The objective, therefore, is to promote sustainable development, both by encouraging a sound environmental culture and by adopting practical measures to protect the environment.
This is the context in which initiatives such as the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and Agenda 21 were created, the latter being an action plan for the twenty-first century.
What does nature management mean?
Nature management means taking a balanced approach to the natural world, one that considers its different dimensions and assesses both its integrity and its degradation.
The key objectives of nature management — understood as the set of human practices aimed at interacting with the environment in a sustainable way — include:
- Biodiversity conservation: protecting the variety of life on Earth by safeguarding species, habitats and ecosystems.
- The sustainable use of natural resources: promoting a conscious and long-term approach to the use of resources.
- Climate change mitigation and adaptation: seeking, as far as possible, to reduce the effects of climate change already underway and adapt to those that cannot be avoided.
- The protection of ecosystem services: safeguarding the benefits that ecosystems provide to people, such as clean water and clean air.
Grounded in solid scientific evidence, this type of management draws on a wide range of disciplines, including ecology, biology, climatology, sociology and economics (Norton, Melissa, et al. 2017).
Understanding the complex interactions between people and nature requires interdisciplinary knowledge across fields such as botany, zoology, geology, ecology and evolutionary science.
How environmental culture helps protect nature
Protecting habitats requires nature management based on scientific evidence and established good practice.
In some cases, the creation of protected areas, such as national parks and nature reserves, helps preserve critical habitats and the biodiversity they contain.
Sustainable forest management also plays an important role. Practices such as replanting and the selection of native species help keep forests healthy and ensure they continue to provide ecosystem services.
The same principle applies to sustainable agriculture. Techniques such as organic farming and crop rotation reduce environmental impact and help preserve soil fertility.
Environmental culture is therefore essential to protecting the planet. It is a powerful tool for raising environmental awareness, encouraging sustainable action and supporting the transition towards a society that treats the natural world with greater respect.
Investing in a strong and inclusive environmental culture is fundamental to addressing global environmental challenges and building a more sustainable future for everyone (Stoll-Elmquist, Joshua C., et al. 2020).
Bibliography:
Järvelä, Marja. “Dimensions of cultural sustainability—Local adaptation, adaptive capacity and social resilience.” Frontiers in Political Science 5 (2023): 1285602.
Jimenez, Marcia P., et al. “Associations between nature exposure and health: a review of the evidence.” International journal of environmental research and public health 18.9 (2021): 4790.
Stoll-Elmquist, Joshua C., et al. “Cultural dimensions of human-nature interaction: Global perspectives.” Journal of environmental management 263 (2020): 110152.
ISPRA – Educazione ambientale – Scheda descrittiva Cultura Ambientale e Sviluppo sostenibile
Norton, Melissa, et al. “Beyond the nature-culture dichotomy: Exploring the interplay of nature, culture, and well-being in protected areas.” Global Sustainability 1 (2017): e17018.
Steiner, Achim, et al. “The role of culture in ecosystem management and conservation.” Science 325.6005 (2009): 1259-1262.
Berkes, Fikret, et al. “Indigenous knowledge and environmental management: Local knowledge and global concerns.” Canadian journal of political science 33.3 (2000): 287-304.
Baggio, Aaron J., et al. “Cultural ecosystem services: A review of the literature and its application to conservation.” Journal of environmental management 128 (2013): 147-155.
